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kelsey3's review against another edition
4.0
Overall: 4.5
Book Breakdown —
Characters: my irritation for Elly was solidified in this book, and that knocked a half star off my rating, but I love all of the characters. Gaelen, Bel, & Rain being my favorites. Adrial & Talissa being heartbreakingly next up on my list.
Pacing/ length: beginning was so slow. It didn’t pick up until the final 25%. This was also annoying. Book 3 & 4 probably should’ve been combined.
Interesting Plot?: yes. It might be slow but there are enough plot points going on to keep your interest, even if it is a little annoying slogging through the slow parts.
Reading Medium: audio.
Spice (?/5): 2 - there wasn’t a lot. It’s not the focus of the story, or even a main aspect of it, but what was there was good.
Detailed Review—
Lately I’ve been extremely busy & haven’t had time to write a detailed review like I normally would. Even when I had time, I didn’t have the energy, nor the motivation, to write a detailed review so I decided to change my review style for this. Instead of writing a detailed essay of all my opinions, I’m going to write a short, simple bullet point type of review. It’s not going to be a cohesive structure or follow a transitional flow. It’s going to contain all of my thoughts as I read, but they’ll be condensed, non-chronological paragraphs that gives my opinions in quick & concise points. Without further ado, let’s begin.
Slow. Books 3 and 4 should’ve been combined. This installment continued to contain a lot of built-up, questions, and prepping for the climax of the series. It was irritating for the first 75% of the book, especially when the previous book also suffered from being slow.
Ellys inability to trust herself and not fear herself also grated on my nerves. At this point I was hoping for more character development than was there. She was slightly better, but not enough to really show me that she was making a full arc in her character development. I actually got irritated reading her inner monologue in this book. So much so that I actually rolled my eyes several times as I read. She was being told since the second book to trust herself yet she never did and it got old.
From book 2 her bio father urges her:
Yet she never listens. No matter who is telling her. At this point a lot of people have told her to trust herself: Rain, her quintet, random fey, prophetic elves, fey warriors, her bio parents, and the Tairen pride. Yet she somehow failed to listen each time as if it’s failing on deaf ears.
Ellys inability to even remotely control her magic also bothered me. There were a few times her lack of control endangered my favorite characters (Rain & the quintet), and instead of learning to control her magic, she just continued to fear it, which made her control even worse. And then she would cry to Rain about not trusting herself and fearing herself and making any bad situation about herself, regardless of if it was or not. It was a viciously annoying cycle.
Adrial and his true mates storyline was so sad. I also got really exasperated at his true mate for refusing him so she could stay with an abusive and manipulative husband. The women in these books do not make good decisions; between Talissa choosing to stay with her bad husband and Elly refusing to trust herself or anyone around her, I was growing aggravated listening to their stories.
That being said, the love story between Adrial and Talissa was beautifully sad. I loved it. Their ending was also the close of this book and I couldn’t put it down! I was devastated when they died. My only hope is that they found each other in their next life and lived their remaining days out together in utter bliss. That’s the only thing getting me through the heartache that is their story and that’s all I can say about that.
The last half was rapid fire of interesting plot point after interesting plot point. I couldn’t put it down. It was quite good. From Elly and her quintet discovering who her parents were to the heartbreaking ending of truemates Adrial and Talissa, it was all so riveting and it acted as a lifeboat for the first half’s slow pace.
I wish we’d seen more of the fallout from Talissa, the fey, and Collums’ family though. It almost felt rushed at the end, and for as impactful as that was for the two countries and families, I wished more fallout was written instead of just cutting the tension and climax off. It wasn’t even really a cliffhanger because the two true mates died and were buried, but we didn’t get to see the two countries and families fight over their deaths. It struck me as a wee odd to end that way but that’s ok because it was all really well written up to that point.
Character List—
see previous Tairen soul series reviews
Adrial: a member of Ellys quintet who found his truemate among the married women of Cerelia. Upon his true mate discovery he resigns from Ellys quintet in order to stay close to his truemate, Talissa, in secret.
Talissa: married to Collum deSeabourne. Truemate of Adrial.
Memorable Quotes—
Check out my highlights on Libby to see all the scenes I loved.
… Talissa broke into tortured sobs. She would’ve fallen to her knees except for the strong hands of her father and brother, Lus, holding her up.
“Adrial, Adrial!”
Weeping she stumbled towards him and fell into his arms. Collum stepped towards her, an ugly look on his face, but Lus bared his teeth.
“Back off, de Seaborne, you’ve done more than enough for one day.”
Collum feigned afront. “Me? I’m the injured party here.”
“If that we’re true, you’d be the one crying like your heart was being ripped from your chest.” Lus stepped back and swept a cold gaze over his sisters husband. “You’re a selfish, self serving Rulshart, and I’m sorry we ever thought any better of you. You knew she didn’t love you. If you’d loved her even the least little bit, you would’ve let her go when the fey came. This is all your fault because you’re a greedy, grasping, controlling little turd pretending to be a man.”
“Lus,” Cain snapped, “that’s enough.” To Collum he said, “But Lus is right, you’ve done enough for one day. So now I suggest you and your father get the hells out and leave Talissa in peace to share this last bell with the man she loves.”
His other two sons joined Lus and Cain to form a barrier between Talissa and the Seabornes. Colum snarled and spat a foul curse, but the two of them were no match for four Barrials, and they knew it. Together, puffed up with arrogance and self-righteous indignation, Lord Sebourne and his son stalked away.
“Adrial, I love you. I love you so much.” Talisa cupped his beloved face in her hands and showered him with tears and kisses. “I don’t want to live without you. I can’t bear to lose you. Not like this.”
“Shh.” Adrial smiled into her eyes. His heart was breaking. Each tear that spilled from her eyes burned his soul the way the sel’dor chains burned his flesh. He’d done this to her. He’d brought this sorrow to her door. Because in his own way, he was as selfish as diSebourne. Both of them fighting over her like dogs over a bone.
“Sieks’ta, shei’tani. I did not do right by you in this life, but I swear to you, I will be everything you deserve in the next.” He took her hand and carried it to his lips. “This isn’t the end, shei’tani. No matter how many years or lifetimes it takes, I will find you again. And we will be happy. You have my oath on it.”
Weeping, she curled in his lap and laid her head on his shoulder. “Tell me what it will be like, shei’tan, when we’re together.”
He pressed his face to her hair and closed his eyes as his own tears fell. His throat was too tight to speak, so he wove Spirit, not just words but pictures, bringing the images from his last courtship gift to life. Dharsa in full bloom, and the two of them, together, forever. For each chime of the next bell, he spun his hopes for them, his dreams of their future, their love, the children they would have in another lifetime when joy, bright as sunlight, would suffuse their united souls. And when they came for him, though she wept and clung to him until they pulled him away, the first of their bond threads had formed, and light like the warmth of a thousand suns shone on both their souls.
Summary—
Ellie has still yet to complete her true mate bond with Rain, thus the madness that is inflicted on the mate who has bonded has begun for Rain; which he’s trying to keep from her to spare her guilt.
They make their way across the land to gather allies in the Mage war that has already begun and killed so many. Soon Elly and Rain learn they must stay close together in order to keep the soul hunger (bond madness) in Rain at bay.
During their travels they are summoned to the elf stronghold in which they attempt to get answers of Ellys past and future and forge an alliance with the elves.
While in elven territory, Elly and her fey companions discover who her biological parents are and what has been happening to them since the last mage wars: they have been captured and brutally tortured by the high mage for a thousand years. She was born to them in captivity as an experiment by the high mage to sire a powerful fey child who he could fuse souls with to an unborn Tairen, thus creating a magical entity he could bend to his will and eventually possess. It is also discovered that one of the members of her quintet is her mothers brother and thus her uncle, whom Ellie saved when she restored his soul.
We once again live through the love, heartache, and pain of Ellie’s parents, Shan and Elfeya, who are being held captive and constantly, horribly, brutally tortured by the High Mage in hopes that brutality will aid in his catpure of Ellie and he will finally complete his diabolical plans.
Elly seeks answers with the elf king but he refuses to tell her more in fear that he could influence her and tip the scales in the wrong direction; his prophecies show that her power could either bring greatness or destruction to their world.
Talisa and Adrial also continue their story. Talsia waited until her 25th birthday to find her mate, and when he didn't show, she married the man her parents picked for her, Lord Sebourne. Soon after, Adrial shows up, her truemate. But now she is married and can't break her vows. Adrial is on the verge
of darkness, and refuses to leave her, instead staying invisible to be with her constantly. But her husband grows jealous and physically threatens her a handful of times. The fey come out of hiding to protect her and wipes his memory of their interference. He becomes suspicious soon and catches Talissa with Adrial.
Adrial is put on trial for his affair with Talissa and sentenced to death. Moments before his execution, Rain soars in to try to mediate the situation. Not wanting Adrial and Talissa to have their possible happy ending, her husband attempts to drive a poisoned dagger into Adrials heart, but Talissa jumps in front of him and dies seconds later. In a bought of rage, Adrial breaks free of his shackles and kills her husband on the spot. Human soldiers kill Adrial afterwards, to stop him from hurting the human king, though Adrial would’ve died soon after anyway since his true mate died. The true mates are given a funeral and are cremated together.
Book Breakdown —
Characters: my irritation for Elly was solidified in this book, and that knocked a half star off my rating, but I love all of the characters. Gaelen, Bel, & Rain being my favorites. Adrial & Talissa being heartbreakingly next up on my list.
Pacing/ length: beginning was so slow. It didn’t pick up until the final 25%. This was also annoying. Book 3 & 4 probably should’ve been combined.
Interesting Plot?: yes. It might be slow but there are enough plot points going on to keep your interest, even if it is a little annoying slogging through the slow parts.
Reading Medium: audio.
Spice (?/5): 2 - there wasn’t a lot. It’s not the focus of the story, or even a main aspect of it, but what was there was good.
Detailed Review—
Lately I’ve been extremely busy & haven’t had time to write a detailed review like I normally would. Even when I had time, I didn’t have the energy, nor the motivation, to write a detailed review so I decided to change my review style for this. Instead of writing a detailed essay of all my opinions, I’m going to write a short, simple bullet point type of review. It’s not going to be a cohesive structure or follow a transitional flow. It’s going to contain all of my thoughts as I read, but they’ll be condensed, non-chronological paragraphs that gives my opinions in quick & concise points. Without further ado, let’s begin.
Slow. Books 3 and 4 should’ve been combined. This installment continued to contain a lot of built-up, questions, and prepping for the climax of the series. It was irritating for the first 75% of the book, especially when the previous book also suffered from being slow.
Ellys inability to trust herself and not fear herself also grated on my nerves. At this point I was hoping for more character development than was there. She was slightly better, but not enough to really show me that she was making a full arc in her character development. I actually got irritated reading her inner monologue in this book. So much so that I actually rolled my eyes several times as I read. She was being told since the second book to trust herself yet she never did and it got old.
From book 2 her bio father urges her:
«Don’t grant him access to your soul. He uses your fears to hold you here when those you love most need you. Look at the truth he hides from you.»
Yet she never listens. No matter who is telling her. At this point a lot of people have told her to trust herself: Rain, her quintet, random fey, prophetic elves, fey warriors, her bio parents, and the Tairen pride. Yet she somehow failed to listen each time as if it’s failing on deaf ears.
Ellys inability to even remotely control her magic also bothered me. There were a few times her lack of control endangered my favorite characters (Rain & the quintet), and instead of learning to control her magic, she just continued to fear it, which made her control even worse. And then she would cry to Rain about not trusting herself and fearing herself and making any bad situation about herself, regardless of if it was or not. It was a viciously annoying cycle.
Adrial and his true mates storyline was so sad. I also got really exasperated at his true mate for refusing him so she could stay with an abusive and manipulative husband. The women in these books do not make good decisions; between Talissa choosing to stay with her bad husband and Elly refusing to trust herself or anyone around her, I was growing aggravated listening to their stories.
That being said, the love story between Adrial and Talissa was beautifully sad. I loved it. Their ending was also the close of this book and I couldn’t put it down! I was devastated when they died. My only hope is that they found each other in their next life and lived their remaining days out together in utter bliss. That’s the only thing getting me through the heartache that is their story and that’s all I can say about that.
The last half was rapid fire of interesting plot point after interesting plot point. I couldn’t put it down. It was quite good. From Elly and her quintet discovering who her parents were to the heartbreaking ending of truemates Adrial and Talissa, it was all so riveting and it acted as a lifeboat for the first half’s slow pace.
I wish we’d seen more of the fallout from Talissa, the fey, and Collums’ family though. It almost felt rushed at the end, and for as impactful as that was for the two countries and families, I wished more fallout was written instead of just cutting the tension and climax off. It wasn’t even really a cliffhanger because the two true mates died and were buried, but we didn’t get to see the two countries and families fight over their deaths. It struck me as a wee odd to end that way but that’s ok because it was all really well written up to that point.
Character List—
see previous Tairen soul series reviews
Adrial: a member of Ellys quintet who found his truemate among the married women of Cerelia. Upon his true mate discovery he resigns from Ellys quintet in order to stay close to his truemate, Talissa, in secret.
Talissa: married to Collum deSeabourne. Truemate of Adrial.
Memorable Quotes—
Check out my highlights on Libby to see all the scenes I loved.
… Talissa broke into tortured sobs. She would’ve fallen to her knees except for the strong hands of her father and brother, Lus, holding her up.
“Adrial, Adrial!”
Weeping she stumbled towards him and fell into his arms. Collum stepped towards her, an ugly look on his face, but Lus bared his teeth.
“Back off, de Seaborne, you’ve done more than enough for one day.”
Collum feigned afront. “Me? I’m the injured party here.”
“If that we’re true, you’d be the one crying like your heart was being ripped from your chest.” Lus stepped back and swept a cold gaze over his sisters husband. “You’re a selfish, self serving Rulshart, and I’m sorry we ever thought any better of you. You knew she didn’t love you. If you’d loved her even the least little bit, you would’ve let her go when the fey came. This is all your fault because you’re a greedy, grasping, controlling little turd pretending to be a man.”
“Lus,” Cain snapped, “that’s enough.” To Collum he said, “But Lus is right, you’ve done enough for one day. So now I suggest you and your father get the hells out and leave Talissa in peace to share this last bell with the man she loves.”
His other two sons joined Lus and Cain to form a barrier between Talissa and the Seabornes. Colum snarled and spat a foul curse, but the two of them were no match for four Barrials, and they knew it. Together, puffed up with arrogance and self-righteous indignation, Lord Sebourne and his son stalked away.
“Adrial, I love you. I love you so much.” Talisa cupped his beloved face in her hands and showered him with tears and kisses. “I don’t want to live without you. I can’t bear to lose you. Not like this.”
“Shh.” Adrial smiled into her eyes. His heart was breaking. Each tear that spilled from her eyes burned his soul the way the sel’dor chains burned his flesh. He’d done this to her. He’d brought this sorrow to her door. Because in his own way, he was as selfish as diSebourne. Both of them fighting over her like dogs over a bone.
“Sieks’ta, shei’tani. I did not do right by you in this life, but I swear to you, I will be everything you deserve in the next.” He took her hand and carried it to his lips. “This isn’t the end, shei’tani. No matter how many years or lifetimes it takes, I will find you again. And we will be happy. You have my oath on it.”
Weeping, she curled in his lap and laid her head on his shoulder. “Tell me what it will be like, shei’tan, when we’re together.”
He pressed his face to her hair and closed his eyes as his own tears fell. His throat was too tight to speak, so he wove Spirit, not just words but pictures, bringing the images from his last courtship gift to life. Dharsa in full bloom, and the two of them, together, forever. For each chime of the next bell, he spun his hopes for them, his dreams of their future, their love, the children they would have in another lifetime when joy, bright as sunlight, would suffuse their united souls. And when they came for him, though she wept and clung to him until they pulled him away, the first of their bond threads had formed, and light like the warmth of a thousand suns shone on both their souls.
Summary—
Ellie has still yet to complete her true mate bond with Rain, thus the madness that is inflicted on the mate who has bonded has begun for Rain; which he’s trying to keep from her to spare her guilt.
They make their way across the land to gather allies in the Mage war that has already begun and killed so many. Soon Elly and Rain learn they must stay close together in order to keep the soul hunger (bond madness) in Rain at bay.
During their travels they are summoned to the elf stronghold in which they attempt to get answers of Ellys past and future and forge an alliance with the elves.
While in elven territory, Elly and her fey companions discover who her biological parents are and what has been happening to them since the last mage wars: they have been captured and brutally tortured by the high mage for a thousand years. She was born to them in captivity as an experiment by the high mage to sire a powerful fey child who he could fuse souls with to an unborn Tairen, thus creating a magical entity he could bend to his will and eventually possess. It is also discovered that one of the members of her quintet is her mothers brother and thus her uncle, whom Ellie saved when she restored his soul.
We once again live through the love, heartache, and pain of Ellie’s parents, Shan and Elfeya, who are being held captive and constantly, horribly, brutally tortured by the High Mage in hopes that brutality will aid in his catpure of Ellie and he will finally complete his diabolical plans.
Elly seeks answers with the elf king but he refuses to tell her more in fear that he could influence her and tip the scales in the wrong direction; his prophecies show that her power could either bring greatness or destruction to their world.
Talisa and Adrial also continue their story. Talsia waited until her 25th birthday to find her mate, and when he didn't show, she married the man her parents picked for her, Lord Sebourne. Soon after, Adrial shows up, her truemate. But now she is married and can't break her vows. Adrial is on the verge
of darkness, and refuses to leave her, instead staying invisible to be with her constantly. But her husband grows jealous and physically threatens her a handful of times. The fey come out of hiding to protect her and wipes his memory of their interference. He becomes suspicious soon and catches Talissa with Adrial.
Adrial is put on trial for his affair with Talissa and sentenced to death. Moments before his execution, Rain soars in to try to mediate the situation. Not wanting Adrial and Talissa to have their possible happy ending, her husband attempts to drive a poisoned dagger into Adrials heart, but Talissa jumps in front of him and dies seconds later. In a bought of rage, Adrial breaks free of his shackles and kills her husband on the spot. Human soldiers kill Adrial afterwards, to stop him from hurting the human king, though Adrial would’ve died soon after anyway since his true mate died. The true mates are given a funeral and are cremated together.
tani's review against another edition
4.0
I had a hard time with the third book of this series. It felt slow to me, and I wondered if I'd misjudged the series. I enjoyed the first book a lot, and the second almost as much, but I read them years ago, and I always doubt my judgment from years past. But this book redeemed the series for me and showed that my struggles with book three were passing.
I think that what helped me to enjoy this book more than the previous ones was the shift in point of view. In the previous book, I struggled with the amount of time that the narrative spent with the villain. I don't like to have too much knowledge of what the villain is getting up to. I find it frustrating to have a lot of knowledge that the hero and heroine do not. And as I said in my previous review, Vadim Maur is not the kind of villain that you want to spend a lot of time with. He is irredeemably evil, and there's no way around it.
In this book, that problem was entirely fixed for me. Although we did still see into Vadim Maur's head at times, it was much less frequent. Instead, there was more from other characters in his stronghold, which was a change that I very much appreciated. We also see more from some of the subplots that Wilson had inserted in prior books, in particular from Adrial and Talisa. I really enjoyed that aspect of the book. I love an ensemble cast, and this book gave me much more of that than any of the previous books have. I think that's especially important in a romance series where the main characters are together. Although there is certainly still the uncompleted truemate bond to add spice to Ellysetta and Rain's story, it was nice to have something other than their relationship occasionally take the romantic stage.
This book was also much more action-oriented. It feels like the plot is finally moving again, after stalling out in book three. Things happen! Revelations are made and plots unveiled. It's a lot of fun to read, although I do still occasionally find myself jarred by the scale of how characters react to those things. There is just an epicness here that sometimes feels false to me. It's wonderful escapism, but I sometimes struggle with accepting it.
This book was also a wonderful example of one of my favorite aspects of this series. I don't read a ton of romance, and that is because I have a terrible time with manufactured drama. I really hate when an author sets up characters for drama by having them A) not communicate with each other, and B) not show any willingness to compromise until they're threatened with tremendous loss. I feel like those are common tropes in romance, and it's why I'm hesitant to read it. Happily, this series does not have these things. If there is a conflict between Ellysetta and Rain, they talk it out and come to an agreement together. If one of them messes up and does something stupid or thoughtless, they acknowledge their mistake and apologize. There is drama, but it is actually understandable and proportional to the issue at stake. I love that about these books.
I'm really looking forward to the conclusion of this series. I know that it is going to be epic and action-packed, and I can only hope that Ellysetta and Rain get the happy ending that they so richly deserve!
I think that what helped me to enjoy this book more than the previous ones was the shift in point of view. In the previous book, I struggled with the amount of time that the narrative spent with the villain. I don't like to have too much knowledge of what the villain is getting up to. I find it frustrating to have a lot of knowledge that the hero and heroine do not. And as I said in my previous review, Vadim Maur is not the kind of villain that you want to spend a lot of time with. He is irredeemably evil, and there's no way around it.
In this book, that problem was entirely fixed for me. Although we did still see into Vadim Maur's head at times, it was much less frequent. Instead, there was more from other characters in his stronghold, which was a change that I very much appreciated. We also see more from some of the subplots that Wilson had inserted in prior books, in particular from Adrial and Talisa. I really enjoyed that aspect of the book. I love an ensemble cast, and this book gave me much more of that than any of the previous books have. I think that's especially important in a romance series where the main characters are together. Although there is certainly still the uncompleted truemate bond to add spice to Ellysetta and Rain's story, it was nice to have something other than their relationship occasionally take the romantic stage.
This book was also much more action-oriented. It feels like the plot is finally moving again, after stalling out in book three. Things happen! Revelations are made and plots unveiled. It's a lot of fun to read, although I do still occasionally find myself jarred by the scale of how characters react to those things. There is just an epicness here that sometimes feels false to me. It's wonderful escapism, but I sometimes struggle with accepting it.
This book was also a wonderful example of one of my favorite aspects of this series. I don't read a ton of romance, and that is because I have a terrible time with manufactured drama. I really hate when an author sets up characters for drama by having them A) not communicate with each other, and B) not show any willingness to compromise until they're threatened with tremendous loss. I feel like those are common tropes in romance, and it's why I'm hesitant to read it. Happily, this series does not have these things. If there is a conflict between Ellysetta and Rain, they talk it out and come to an agreement together. If one of them messes up and does something stupid or thoughtless, they acknowledge their mistake and apologize. There is drama, but it is actually understandable and proportional to the issue at stake. I love that about these books.
I'm really looking forward to the conclusion of this series. I know that it is going to be epic and action-packed, and I can only hope that Ellysetta and Rain get the happy ending that they so richly deserve!
scrants19's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
lifeand100books's review against another edition
5.0
This series just gets better and better. So many incredible things being set up for what's sure to be an explosive finale in the next (and last) book.
As much as I love Rain and Ellie's story, the supporting cast's stories are just as stellar. Love love love love these characters.
As much as I love Rain and Ellie's story, the supporting cast's stories are just as stellar. Love love love love these characters.
esthergreenwoodx's review against another edition
5.0
"There are some fears, young Ellysetta, that can never be conquered. Sometimes, all you can do is acknowledge your fear, then act in spite of it."
meaganpauli's review against another edition
5.0
Living the dream! And by dream I mean nightmare. Still so magical.
dola92's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0